Page 143 of Ash

Bianta’s gaze sought his. “Taran was so angry about what you did. But now—now, he is laden with guilt.”

“Guilt won’t help. He needs to be strong.”

“He can’t fly.” The words choked out.

“He doesn’t need to fly to lead,” Tyrez said. “Razir can help him. It will take time, but he will heal.”

Her assessing gaze scanned the meadow. Those that hadn’t ended up with the predators in the ocean would recover. But many would be permanently compromised with damaged internal organs and missing limbs. Of the one hundred and forty-three Legion Dragons that had gone after Rindek, thirty might recover enough to regain their duty as soldiers. But not any time soon.

Over half had died. The remainder faced a drastically altered life. That left only Legion trainees and their trainers to defend an empire.

Tyrez cleared his throat. “Father needs to bring up the reserves, immediately. We don’t know what Rindek’s next move will be.” All the Dragon realms were now vulnerable. The reserves were trained, but not to the level of the Legion. And there were maybe eighty of them all together.

Bianta’s mouth straightened. “We’re bringing Taran back with us. We need him. We’ll keep him distanced until it is verified he can’t infect anyone.”

“Watch his crystal consumption until then. Take Razir too. He needs to be in the loop on things.”

She nodded, her gaze searching his. “I wish you could come. You have an ability to think outside the box. We need that now.”

Tyrez shook his head. “It will upset more than Father if I break the exile. No one will follow me now that I have flaunted the rules. We have to respect that.”

Dani had been standing, rigid as a board, close to Ash. Now she growled, “Some rules are meant to be broken.” Her eyes glowed bronze with her beast.

“Rules can be changed,” Tyrez admonished. “But they exist for a reason.”

“Well, this one sucks big time.” Dani bent to help Ash to his feet.

Cara returned. “It’s all set up with Aphostra. She is almost ready to return. You can go back with her.”

“I don’t need a healer.” Ash swayed on his feet, so Dani kept a supportive hand on his arm.

“Yes, you do.” Cara stated. “Just stay with her for now. We need to get you set up, anyway.”

What had she seen that caused her to send Ash to Aphostra? The Gryphon was an expert healer, but she specialized in mental and emotional issues. Tyrez’s stomach churned. Was Ash still sane?

Perhaps he never had been. Oracles had reputations for insanity. The records stated that few had been capable of conducting normal lives.

Ash gazed around him with empty eyes, as though he were truly lost.

“My father will want him to live at the palace,” Bianta interjected.

Cara’s gaze slid across Tyrez’s before she replied. “That will be up to Ash once he has healed.”

Bianta crossed her arms. “Well, you can be the one to break the news, then. Lately, ‘no’ is not in his vocabulary.”

Cara shrugged. “Your father and I go way back. I am not afraid of him, no matter how loud he roars.” She gestured to where Taran and Razir were engaged in a heated discussion. “Let’s break up that example of brotherly love and get them back to the palace. Perhaps seeing the results of his pure stubbornness will take the wind right out of Thadus’s sails.”

She marched off toward them.

Bianta shook her head and snorted. “Don’t know if that’s possible.”

Tyrez had information he needed taken back with her. “Listen, Bianta. Ash hasn’t remembered much, but he told us that Rindek has two sons and a mate. One of them, Demeti—he’s the bastard that nailed me with an energy pulse. Ash says he might be more powerful than his father. Tell the Emperor.”

Bianta listened with increasing alarm.

“Morepowerful?”

“Yes.”

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